The Motorcycle Industry Council, a nonprofit trade group based in Irvine, California reported that more than 1.1 million motorcycles were sold in 2008. Although only 650,000 were sold in 2009, the high percentage of motorcycles bought despite the recession show that more and more Americans use them for transportation and not just recreation.
Further, according to the Council’s survey, high fuel costs, environmental concerns, convenience are some of the many reasons why many Americans are opting for motorcycles more than passenger cars.
While statistics seem bright for the motorcycle industry, things are a little grim on the end of its riders and passengers. Motorcycles may be more convenient and cost-efficient but they can also be dangerous to their motorist themselves. Here are some motorcycle accident statistics:
• In 2008, motorcyclists killed in one year reached its record high as it accounted for 14 percent of total highway crash deaths with around 5,901 riders killed.
• In motorcycle accidents, the number of deaths is about 37 times higher than other passenger vehicles.
• More than half of all fatal motorcycle accidents were caused by collisions between a motorcycle and another vehicle. Most of these happened when a motorcycle was struck in the front (77 percent). Majority of these collisions happened because a vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight or passing and overtaking the vehicle.
• Fatal collisions do not merely include other vehicles, surprisingly, 25 percent of motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with a fixed object (tree, building, post).
• In single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, speeding and alcohol are the leading causes. 46 percent of the motorcyclists killed in a single-vehicle crash was speeding while the other 43 percent were reported to have blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
While these statistics may reflect the fact that a number of motorcycle accidents are due to driver error, these should not prevent other motorcyclists or their families from seeking compensation if they had no fault in the accident or were not negligent when the accident occurred. Under such circumstances, it would be best to hire a motorcycle accident attorney to help you or a loved one file a case and establish the fault or negligence of the other party.
Personal injury claims such as those involving motorcycle accidents have a Statute of Limitations of 2 years so if you or a loved one was involved in a collision between a motorbike and another vehicle, call an attorney right away to help you assess the situation and determine whether you can pursue a case or not.
